Cabinet latch



Nov. 20, 1928.

A. c. D'ALFoNso CABINET LATCH Filed Jan. 21, 1927 INVENTOR. fl/ex C. @Zfamro MW L; A ATTONEYS.

Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES ALEX C. DAIiFONEtO, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.

CABINET LATCH.

Application filed January 21, 1927. Serial No. 162,474.

This invention relates to latches as used on cabinet work generally, but particularly to a spring latch for application to cabinet doors, and windows of the hinged or sliding type.

The objects of the invention are to provide a latch mechanism of this type which is very cheap in having few and simple parts, and which is easily applied to a door by the simple drilling of two round holes, and

which is almost wholly concealed within the door to do away with exposed metal so liable to tarnish or corrode, also such a device which may be applied to doors of various'thicknesses without requiring any material change in the construction of the device.

The invention is shown in the accompany ing drawings applied to a swinging door or window in Fig. 1, and to a sliding window in Fig. 7.

Fig. 1 is a cross section of a hinged closure shown in closed position and secured by my improved latch. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of Fig. l as seen from the arrows 2'2 and Fig. 3 is a similar view as seen from the arrows 33.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective views re-' spectively of the latch member, its bushing or housing, and its striker plate.

Fig. 7 shows the application of a pair of my latches to the lower portion of a sliding window sash.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a modification in the construction of the operating knob and bolt throwing pin.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a few elements which maybe assembled in mortised relation to a door or window by simply bo'ring two round holes at right angles to one another in the door and placing the elements therein, and of boringone shallow hole in a cooperating jamb or fixed frame to receive the striker plate.

In the drawings, 1 is the door, 2 the fixed frame, 3 the large holein the side of the door, 4 a smaller hole at right angles to hole 3 and extending through the edge of the door,

is the striker plate fitted into a hole in edge of frame 2. aligned with hole 4 and which striker plate takes the form of a short cylinder of metal with a lip 5" preferably extending therefrom, the tube being simply hammered tightly into a proper sized round hole and the lip 5 forced into the wood to prevent it from turning. The cylinder may also be further secured in place by a small nail 6 driven into the wood through a hole in its lower end as shown in Fig. 1 if desired.

A tubular metal bushing 7 is forced tightly into hole 4 to receive the sliding spring latch member 8 provided with a rearwardly extendingrod 9 formed with a hook or halfeye 10 for engagement by a pin 11 projecting downwardly from the turning or operating knob 12.

This knob 12 turns freely on a screw threaded rod 13 which extends through the door axially of the hole 3 and is tightened against the door by a nut 14 which may or may not be countersunk as desired.

This screw threaded rod 13 does not clamp the knob against turning, for the reason that the bolt is threaded to a heavy washer 15 which lies under the knob and between which washer and nut 14 the door is clamped while the knob is free to revolve on the bolt above it, the arrangement providing for adjustment of the washer 15 up and down on the bolt to get proper clearance for any slight variations in length of knob 12 and the nut 1 1 providing doors. v p The pin 11 is firmly fixed in the knob 12, preferably cast therein if the knob is of glass, and the pin engages the eye 10 of the latch, rod 9 and works in an arcuate slot 16 formed in the washer 15 so as to limit its action to for varying thicknesses of prevent its arriving at a dead center in relation to the sliding latch bolt 8.

The latch bolt 8 is resiliently forced out ward by means of a spiral spring 17 reacting between. the bottom ofthe latch boltand the bottom wall 7' of the bushing 7.

' The latch bolt with its rod 9 is assembled in place before the knob 12 is positioned, by first inserting the offset eye. portion 10 through the slot 18 in the bottom of the bush- ,ing and then giving the latch bolt a uarter turn to bring it in proper position or engagement by the pin 11 whenthe knob is put in place. 7 a

The latch bolt 8 is here shown as of round stock witha flattened place atS for engagement with the striker plate, but the latch bolt may be of any desired cross section such as hexagon or squareand with bushings to suit, for any such would fit tightly in a round hole 4 if bored of proper size.

T0 insure proper positioning of thearcuate slot 16 of the washer 15 when assembling the elements in place, I provide a couple of spurs 19 which are placed upon a center line 20 marked on the door (from which all holes are aligned) and which spurs are drawn into the wood upon tightening the nut 14. thereby preventing the washer from twisting out of position.

Instead of the pin 11 projecting rigidly from the knob, I may use the construction shown in Fig. 8 wherein the knob 12' is free to turn on the screw threaded rod 13 and a U shaped strip of metal 11 through the bridge of which the screw threaded rod freelypasses, has its free ends seated in apertures or depressions formed in the under side of the knob and is secured in position. by a nut 21 screwed on the rod so that either of the legs of the U piece may engage the eye 10 of the latch bolt to function as the pin 11 previously described. In this'construction the washer 15 is not threaded to the bolt 13 butslips freely over it and is seated against a lug or shoulder 22 formed on the bolt, and the washer is in this case provided with two arcuate slots to take the two legs of the U piece instead of the one slot 16 of Fig. 3, but itsjaction is substantially the same as the other construction described.

The operation of the device is self-evident from a glance at the drawings, it being merely necessary to turn the knob to draw back the latch bolt, and thespring 17 being always active to force it outward.

In Figure 7 the application of two of my latches to a sliding window is shown. The sash is designated 23 and the frame 2%, and the latchknobs 12 are preferably set to operate in reverse directions so that upon turning one with each hand in direction of the arrows the sash will be released from the framefld for lifting, the sash beinglifted byi'neans oi: the very knobs 12 which release the latches, and attention is called to the fact that while the latch bolt may engage a hole in the frame (as per showing of Fig. 1) to lock the sash in place at different positions, the end of the latch bolt may by friction alone hold the sash elevated, it simply being necessary to use a spring 17 of considerable force and dispense with the bevel shown on the latch in Fig. 1, or roughen the end of the latch bolt for increasing its friction again t the frame.

The knobs 12 will of course have to be very low in height it put on the upper sash as there is very little clearance between a pair of sliding window sash, but this is a mere matter of proportion, andit used on window sash my latch permits of dispensing entirely with sash weights.

Having thus described my invention and shown its application it will be apparent that in a device of this kind many detailed modifications may bemade within the scope of the invention and any such are intended to be embraced in my appended claims.

the handle on the bolt thereabove,

plate, provided with a spur I claim: 1. A cabinet latch comprlsing an operating handle, a rod passing freely through the handle and adapted for passing through a panel for securing thereto, a spacing plate an said rod adapted to be clamped against the face of the panel'while retaining freedom of the handle on the rod thereabove, a latch bolt member slidably arranged in the panel at right angles to the rod, and a. pin extending from said handle into a space within the panel engaging an extension of said latch bolt member tor slidably moving the same upon twisting the handle.

2. A cabinet latch coinprisingan operating handle, a rod passing freely through the handle and adapted for passing through a panel for securing thereto, av spacing plate on said rod adapted to beclamped' against the freedom of a latch bolt member shdably arranged inthe panel face of the panel while retaining at right'angles to the rod, and a pin extending from said handle into a space within the panel engaging an extension of said latch bolt member for slidably moving the same upon twisting the handle, said plate provided with means for liiiiiting the motion of said pin. 7

3. In a structure as specified in claim 1, a metal sleeve in the panel in which said latch bolt slides, said sleeve provided with an abutment, and a spring reacting against said.

abutment and the latch bolt so as to resiliently force the same outward for engaging an adjacent cabinet member.

1. In a structure as specified in claim2 said for penetrating the panel to, prevent displacement arranged to fall on' a line on the face of the panel -extending axially over. said latch bolt. 5. In a cabinetlatch device of the character described, a slidablelatch bolt and means for operating the same including a rod provided with a washer threaded to the bolt and athreaded nut on the endof the rod arranged.

for clamping a doorbetween the washer and nut, and a handle on the rod, above the Washer tree from turning thereon retained by ahead at the outer. endof the rod.

6. In a latch mech anism, a hand knob with a bearing hole axially therein, and a. pin projecting from the inner end of said h and knob in eccentric relation to the hole axis.

7. In a latch mechanism adaptedto be morticed into a cabinet member, a spindle fixedly mounted on the member and projecting at right angles. from the outer surface thereof. a hand knob revolvably mounted on the fixed spindle, and an eccentric device on the inner end of said knob projecting into said cabinet member arranged to operate said mechanism upon the knobbeing turned.

ALEX C. DALFONS O. 

